Doors are used to selectively close and open an area or space. For example, doors may be used to selectively open and close an area, such as a driveway, garage, road, and/or the like.
Similarly, various enclosures include doors that are moveably secured to housings. For example, a cabinet, closet, refrigerated compartment, lavatory, enclosed area, and/or the like onboard an aircraft may include one or more doors that are moveably secured to a housing, frame, and/or the like.
Typically, a gap exists between a door and a housing and/or another door. The gap provides a clearance area that allows the door(s) to open and close. However, as forces are applied to a structure that supports the door(s), portions of the doors may move towards another. For example, upper portions of the doors may tilt towards one another and interfere with each other, thereby resulting in binding, which may cause the door(s) to stick to one another and/or a housing. Such binding may make opening and closing of the door(s) difficult.
During a flight of an aircraft, loads are exerted into structures (such as monuments) within an internal cabin. The exerted loads may distort housing frames, and cause edges of doors to bind in relation to a housing and/or other doors. Accordingly, the doors may stick and not smoothly open and close.
Interior monument doors of an aircraft are routinely inspected to ensure smooth operation. If a door is found to be binding, one or more latches and/or tie rods are adjusted to alleviate the binding. As can be appreciated, the process of regularly inspecting doors for binding and adjusting latches and/or tie rods to alleviate any binding is time- and labor-intensive.